Texas Man Brews Beer In His Belly

Summary: Giving a new definition to the phrase “beer gut,” a man in Texas found that he was infected with Sacchromyces cerevisiae, a bacteria that is responsible for fermenting starches in things such as breads, pastas, or even sodas. This bacteria has been known to grow in the intestinal tract, but generally it goes through the system and does not infect the host unless the host’s immune system is very low or the individual has just consumed antibiotics. In this man’s rare case of infection, his gut essentially began acting as an auto-brewery system, making him randomly drunk with very high blood alcohol levels such as .12 and .37 without consuming any alcohol.

Think About:

1. Doctors thought he was secretly drinking. How did he feel when the doctors did not believe him when he swore he did not consume alcohol?
2. Will infecting oneself with this bacteria ever become popular? Should it? What are the dangers?